Story of Romance in 17
by Sugaby
Summary: The cliche plot of highschool romance wherein the girl is uninterested in the new boy in class isn't quite the gist this time; in seventeen stages following the second they meet, Rachel becomes aware of and accepts she's possibly a bit more than just interested in Ragna.


_**AN | **Recently been playing Continuum Shift and I just recently discovered 'one sentence' stories. I'm not completely knowledgeable of the BlazBlue storyline (it is quite confusing in a lot of areas tbf) but I know a little from playing CS and CT, though I do generally prefer to write au's anyway, so it's whatever. I thought I'd successfully written twenty parts for this, but I sadly miscounted...so it's three parts less than planned; shame._

_...Now, how does high school love go again?_

* * *

**#1. The Story Begins**

Presented to be the class's new student, an infamous youth named Ragna stands in front of the class and delivers a curt self-introduction that should be unworthy of Rachel Alucard's attention - that she _should_ think nothing of, but she watches him closely for all the less than five minutes it takes for him to have roused a ruckus and be seated an aisle ahead, and she cannot say there is no fascination.

_. . . ._

**#2. First Words**

"Shut up, rabbit!" When they exchange verbals soon after, Rachel's briefly mentioned hypothesis of seeing the whiteboard better if the new student can either remove or only reposition his abnormally sized - she also adds _empty_ \- head stirs a hot emotion within Ragna, and he just has to retaliate; and such revokes Rachel's short-lived stability on being a pacifist in class.

_. . . ._

**#3. Attention**

The first class of the morning ends; Rachel gracefully struts through the hallway on route to her next class and stumbles upon a scandal: to think, in less than two hours, the new student has gathered a crowd of young children and ogling female seniors of either student council or teacher status; Still, not that Rachel, maneuvering around the obstruction and continuing on her way, should focus on it.

_. . . ._

**#4. Close**

Contrary to Miss. Litchi's designed seating plan and wherein which they are to be partners for the remaining term, Rachel lets Ragna know that his place can be anywhere he so pleases but beside her at a desk in the front (grudging elbow nudges, violent hair flicks to the face, and merciless jabs to toes by the heel of her boots and all).

_. . . ._

**#5. Warning**

At the staircase before entering/leaving the school building, keenly watching the new student prepare to use his means of travel, Rachel says, "How noisy and most displeasing to my eyes. I'll have you know this, new student, should you pursue to rile me further: I'm not above scratching that heap of junk you would call a "motorcycle."

Ragna holds his helmet in hand and smugly retorts, "I can tell that even when you march around in those ridiculous heels of yours, you're still not above much."

_. . . ._

**#6. Moments**

When Ragna is exhausted in Physical Ed. from being chased by his brother - who's driven by deep, nearly unshakable emotions of hate he's devoted to using as a means to murder his sibling - and lies on the sun blessed concrete court, sweaty and troubled, Rachel carries a moment of desire to hold him.

_. . . ._

**#7. "Married"**

"Ow! Hey, stop!...Damn it, Rachel, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I beg your pardon? Perhaps if you weren't lying on the ground and obstructing my path, I would have sought alternative means to get passed. But such is the case." Rachel says, and a sigh later, "You're far too stupid for my generosity, but I shall grant you this one first and final act of assistance and escort you to the infirmary." Rachel frowns at the series of grunts and groans helping the new student makes him produce, and when they stand she roughly pinches a piece of his shirt and drags him along. "Now, Ragna, I shan't lend ear to the misplacement of your self-brought misfortune, understood?"

"What?!" Ragna shouts in disbelief. "Listen here, evil little bunny girl, _you_ stepped on my face!"

"And what a shame it is that, while there is little I'm incapable of doing, it did not make your appearance any more attractive."

Ragna scoffs at the answer that is just so like Rachel, "You know, call me old fashioned but a simple "Please, move" would've sufficed! Geez." Perhaps so, though Rachel worried beforehand that the same would not be able to be said for her feelings - convinced they will not suffice if they remain unchanged. "Ah, shit, my nose won't stop bleeding!" Ragna panics, quickly pinching his nose. "For god's sake, Rachel!"

_. . . ._

**#8. Hope**

Filling in for Miss Litchi for the day is Professor Kokonoe, who mentions the terrible luck she must have with her first (and at the end of the day, only) patient being a guy stupid enough to piss of his girlfriend (who, in her opinion, smells too strongly of Roses); the correction of Rachel being absolutely nothing close to such a title is ignored (Kokonoe could care less); she just cleans up the blood and bruised nose then sends them on their way, along with hope for such a complex relationship.

_. . . ._

**#9. Content**

"Ragna, no, I cannot accept this." Rachel looks to the tin containing the necessaries to make her favourite beverage and looks to Ragna who is practically shoving it in her hand.

"It's not like I'm asking you to marry me! Just quit acting all stubborn and cool; you like tea, don't you?"

Rachel blinks thoughtfully. She is very fond of tea _if_ made properly, and it's funny because while Ragna is aware of this, he does not yet know what Rachel will keep to herself a little longer: that, like presently, there are times when being with him brings to her a satisfaction.

_. . . ._

**#10. Lie to Myself**

"Madam Rachel, might something be amiss this evening?" Valkenhayn arrives at the small set up in the courtyard with the routinely prepared evening tea and sees uncertainty trouble his young mistress' complexion.

"It's nothing...I'm merely taking an interest in the new, that's all." Rachel says, more to herself than to her loyal servant, though she worries she is, for once, incapable of convincing herself, picking up her cup and sipping the _gift-given_ tea.

_. . . ._

**#11. Jealousy**

"I ought to pay this no mind, but if you are implying I'm "disturbed" by your involvement with this young girl," Rachel generously gives the mysteriously covered up young person a glance, albeit shorter than brief, "Then I can think of no better way to remove such a _ludicrous_ notion from your rotting brain than to give that block _some_ would say is your _head_ a good smack!"

"Huh?! Calm down, I was just screwing with you." Ragna says, feeling ambushed on the spot between Rachel and the other girl beside him who'd he just verbally sparred with also. "Rachel, what the hell?!"

Rachel turns on her heels, red faced, and Ragna lets her, preferring that she simmer down before they're in each other's company again.

_. . . ._

**#12. Frustration**

"Damn you, rabbit! The hell did you just say to me?...Shit!" Ragna strongly votes on Rachel having too much nerve for her short height to withstand; Days later after leaving her to _simmer down_, rather than doing that, Rachel's reappearance has just become another one of her grand schemes to mess with him.

_. . . ._

**#13. Reveal**

"Princess..." Gii and Nago are but a whisper of familiarity in the quiet and dark room Rachel confines herself in with her messy thoughts, and what lay on upon her face that has been thought unimaginable to her two servants for a long time are trails of sincerity they aren't to do more than _silently_ concern themselves over, for eventually, the dread might come to pass and something sweet like a rose shall bloom.

_. . . ._

**#14. Regret**

Ragna doesn't believe he's actually hearing Rachel Alucard - of all people! - apologise to him - again, of all people! - and he knows that, for her, it isn't as easy as doing the things she claims to be capable of, whatever they are - (insulting him, for one) - and somehow he feels at least half responsible. "I didn't think someone like you would even know about being "sorry", but...I guess I should've...goddammit, I don't know, but I know this is partly my fault. So yeah, sorry for being such an...idiot, Rachel."

_. . . ._

**#15. Relax**

To be told the exact whereabouts of an ideal place to fall asleep during the day is quite tedious, however, Rachel likes how Ragna is so relaxed, even in her (requested) presence.

_. . . ._

**#16. Happiness**

Rachel, for a time, believed unbreakable a mantra supporting honesty to be wasted effort and deception a clever trick, until the fated day Ragna was pushed in to her path and her heart began to probe for her approval to honestly present itself - and in return, attempt to bring her a feeling she'd known only the concept of.

_. . . ._

**#17. The Story Resolves**

"Since that moment when it was decided we would meet...yes, I'm sure it's been this long. Back then, I denied it, but I believed then what I believe now: that you, Mr. New Student, Ragna, are quite interesting." Rachel admits to everything for the first time with a smile, small but existing, very much alive; and Ragna's a bit dazed by it because _Holy fucking shit, she's actually smiling!_ he can't excuse the chance to think, and because it presents a brightness that the sun and stars will lavish the path they take together with.

* * *

_**AN |** I worried about the overall pace of the story and place of the word prompts; is everything...I mean, I'm hoping this isn't awful. I had to create and interpret the prompts myself because I couldn't really find any, but I'm sure each word comes with all sorts of love. I did slip up some times and let my hands run another sentence or two longer - - ah, I'm sure you'll appreciate that, maybe. (This "One sentence story" challenge is good practice for when you're having writer's block but don't want to sit and let it stunt your flow). I__ like this, tbh. I enjoy Ragna and Rachel interactions (along with Ragna and Jin, lol), so I've no regrets about even the idea of producing this sort of story._

_Oh, yes, and before this officially ends, happy International Fanworks day!_


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